The sow, named Pigcasso, was saved from an abattoir when she was a piglet in 2016 and taken to an animal sanctuary in Franschhoek, in South Africa’s Western Cape region.

It was here her new owners noticed her love of colour and paint brushes, and the unlikely artist was born.

Joanne Lefson, who runs Farm Sanctuary SA, said the painting began as a way of keeping Pigcasso entertained when she was brought to the sanctuary’s barn.

She said: “Pigs are very smart animals and so when I brought Pigcasso here to the barn I thought how do I keep her entertained?

“We threw in some footballs, rugby balls and of course there were some paintbrushes lying around because the barn was newly built.

“She basically ate or destroyed everything except these paintbrushes. She loved them so much.”

Pigcasso, a rescued pig, paints on a canvas at the Farm Sanctuary in Franschhoek, outside Cape Town, South Africa. (REUTERS/Sumaya Hisham)
Pigcasso was soon dipping the brushes into pots of paint and making her mark.

Her paintings can sell for almost $4,000 (just over £3,000), and the proceeds go to animal welfare projects.

She has even had one of her artworks turned into a watch face for Swiss watchmaker Swatch, which announced a collaboration with the animal last month.

Ms Lefson added: “Pigcasso is definitely an abstract expressionist, you can’t exactly define what she’s painting but I can tell you that her style slightly changes depending on her mood like any great artist.”

The Independent

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